The present invention relates to an information apparatus having an expansion card slot into which an expansion card for expansion of function can be removably inserted and a program starting control method applied to the information apparatus, and more particularly to an information apparatus for effecting the starting and termination of an application program corresponding to an expansion card in response to insertion/removal of the expansion card and a program starting control method.
Recently, personal computers such as palm top type computers and notebook type computers which can be easily carried and operated by a battery and small-sized information terminals such as PDA (Personal Digital Assistants) are variously developed. In order to expand the function, this type of portable information apparatus is constructed such that, for example, an expansion card called a PC card based on PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) can be mounted thereon when required.
In the conventional portable information apparatus, when the PC card is mounted on the main body of the apparatus, the user selects an application program for executing a process corresponding to the mounted PC card and effects an adequate operation to start the application program. When the PC card is removed, the user effects an adequate operation to terminate the application program corresponding to the PC card.
For example, when the PC cards are exchanged, the user first effects the operation to terminate the application program corresponding to the PC card which is now used then removes the PC card. After inserting another PC card, the user must select an application program corresponding to the inserted PC card and effect the operation to start the application program.
It should be noted here that, in order to start and terminate an application program for effecting the process corresponding to the PC card in response to insertion/removal of the PC card, the user himself must select the application program corresponding to the PC card from a plurality of various types of application programs prepared.
In order to eliminate such a troublesome operation, for example, it is considered that all of the application programs to be executed are started by use of various types of PC cards, but recently, the number of types of PC cards used increases and the effective use of resources becomes indispensable with a reduction in size of the main body of the apparatus, and therefore, the above-described method is not desirable.
Thus, in the conventional portable information terminal, in order to start/terminate the application program for executing the process corresponding to the PC card in response to insertion/removal of the PC card, the user himself must select an adequate application program corresponding to the PC card from a plurality of various types of application programs prepared and it is difficult to say that the environment which is convenient for the user is sufficiently provided.
Therefore, it is desired to automatically select and start/terminate the application program for executing the process corresponding to the PC card in response to insertion/removal of the PC card and reduce the user's load.